Strip transfer means for randomaccess systems



Nov. 22, 1966 E. STONE ETAL STRIP TRANSFER MEANS FOR RANDOM-ACGESSSYSTEMS 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 3, 1965 o R a u E S w n m w m m D WN 1 T E T O a A VTD WSL l m E T w H W A J VI B Nov. 22, 1966 E. STONEETAL 3,287,010

STRIP TRANSFER MEANS FOR RANDOM-ACCESS SYSTEMS 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledMarch 5. 1965 R E F m s R O O D mw EOM VT l L S NE IM L EM THEIRATTORNEYS Nov. 22, 1966 E. STONE ETAL STRIP TRANSFER MEANS FORRANDOM-ACCESS SYSTEMS Fileci March 5, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 mw m v 0m ONNb .Nw Maw mm R o E 1 R a s w m m y l MNE Em V |SL TS wwfi L 4 5M Nov.22, 1966 E. STONE ETAL 3,287,010

STRIP TRANSFER MEANS FOR RANDOM-ACCESS SYSTEMS Filed March 5, 1965 6Sheets-Sheet 4 lllllllllllllllllllllllllllIHIIIHHIIHHIIH|IIIHIIIIIHHHINVENTORS ELIOT STONE 5 JAM L. DEINDOERFER M4! 14 BY THEIR ATTORNEYSNov. 22, 1966 E. STONE ETAL 3,287,010

STRIP TRANSFER MEANS FOR RANDOM-ACCESS SYSTEMS Filed March 5, 1965 6Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS ELIOT STONE JAMES L. DEINDOERFER BY nd; THEIRATTORNEYS E. STONE ET AL Nov. 22, 1966 Filed March 5, 1965 United StatesPatent 3,287,010 STRIP TRANSFER MEANS FOR RANDOM- ACCESS SYSTEMS EliotStone, Los Angeles, and James L. Delndoerfer, Huntington Beach, Calif.,assignors to The National Cash Register Company, Dayton, Ohio, acorporation of Maryland Filed Mar. 3, 1965, Ser. No. 436,907 12 Claims.(Cl. 271) This invention relates generally to random-access storagesystems employing flexible magnetic storage strips, and, moreparticularly, to improve means for transferrrng randomly selected stripsfrom a magazine to a rotating capstan.

A random-access storage system of the prior art is disclosed in acopending US. patent application Serial No. 12,032, filed on March 1,1960, inventor Eugene H. Irasek, and assigned to the same assignee asthis application. In that system information is magnetically recorded onstrips of flexible magnetic material. The strips are manufactured byapplying suitable coatings of magnetic oxide material to a substrate ofpolyester film. Each strip is provided with coded retaining tabs formedat the upper end thereof and is disposed to depend by its tabs fromsuitable suspender means which forms part of -a strip storage magazine.One strip at a time is selectively released from the lower end of themagazine and freely drops through a chamber towards a rotating capstan.As the leading or lower edge of the strip approaches the capstan, avacuum, produced through perforations in the capstan, draws the strip tothe capstan, whereby the strip is accelerated and passed by the capstanthrough a magnetic transducer region having reading and writing magnetictransducer means. The capstan also imparts sufficient momentum to thestrip to cause the strip, under the action of centrifugal force, tofollow an upward path through an appropriate guideway back to themagazine. The guideway guides the moving strips up over the magazine anddown to a stopped position within the magazine loading means which, inturn, loads the strip back onto the suspender means of the magazine. Apneumatic means is provided in the system for directing a stream of airthrough the strips for insuring that the depending strips are maintainedin spaced-apart relationship.

The system is able to store, for example, two hundred fifty-six stripswithin the magazine wherein each strip is, for example, 14 inches longand 3% inches wide and has over two hundred thousand bits recordedthereon. Since any desired strip may be selectively released from thesuspender means, dropped, accelerated to an operating speed, operatedon, returned to a stopped position, and finally loaded back onto thesuspender means within a small fraction of one second, rapid randomaccess is available to any one of the strips. One of the importantcharacteristics of such a system is that, not only is the access time toany one of the strips very short, but the access time is relatively thesame for all the strips irrespective of their location in the magazine.

One of the problems associated with sucha randomaccess storage system ofthe prior art is to control the accelerating movements of a strip duringits travel through the system. Thus, a strip released from any selectedposition along the bottom side of the magazine falls freely through agenerally V-shaped chamber which has two converging walls, i.e., ramps,to guide the strip to the rotating capstan where the leading edge of thestrip is grabbed by the suction provided on the surface of the rotatingcapstan to cause the strip to be rapidly accelerated. This rapidacceleration of the strip to the peripheral speed of the capstan causesthe unrestrained central and trailing portion of the strip to whip aboutand slap against 3,287,0 10 Patented Nov. 22, 1966 the walls of theV-shaped chamber. Eventually, after a few thousand drops, dependent onthe position in the magazine from which the strip falls, the polyestersubstrate in the strip tends to break down. This can result in theweakening or loss of one or more of the tabs, and the strip can lose itsoriginal coded identity. When a strip loses its coded identity, it willfall With some other strip when the latter is selected to drop.

Another commonly assigned copending application Serial No. 316,106,filed October 14, 1963, inventors Glaser et al., discloses that,because, in normal operation, most of the strips are generally droppedwhen they are located in the loader side or right side of the magazine,as opposed to the left side, it is desirable to provide two spacedrotating vacuum rollers protruding slightly above the surface of theramp located under the loader end of the magazine (hereinafter calledthe load ramp). These rotating vacuum rollers in the load ramp tend tohold the strip against the surface of the ramp as the strip movesthrough the V-shaped chamber, and thus help arrest the whipping actionon strips dropped from the loader side of the magazine. 'Thus, a stripdropped from the loader side of the magazine can be dropped manythousand times more without damaging the tabs. However, a random-accesssystem, by its very nature, drops strips from any part of the magazineincluding the left side, which is the side directly over the rotatingcapstan. It should be noted that the vacuum rollers on the load rampbecome gradually less etfective in holding and thereby arresting thewhipping action of a strip dropped from positions progressively furtherfrom the right side of the magazine. Thus, it has been determined that astrip dropped from the left portion of the magazine onto the left rampof the V-shaped chamber (hereinafter called the shroud ramp since itcovers the capstan), is acted upon such that its free trailing or tabend is slapped against the surface of the right ramp, i.e., the loadramp, as a result of the leading edge of the strip being grabbed by therotating vacuum capstan. It should be noted that when the rotatingcapstan grabs on to the leading edge of the strip, the free end of thestrip is thrown in a direction in which it would assume a positiontangential to the surface of the capstan, if it were not for makingcontact with the load ramp. Thus, to further increase tab life on thesestrips, it is highly desirable to minimize the whipping of the stripsdropped from the loader end of the magazine, such as the central or leftend thereof. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention suchmeans include a vacuum roller substantially flush with the surface ofthe shroud ramp and resilient pads disposed in proper places on the loadramp to provide a soft impact area for the tabs to slap against.

Accordingly, one of the objects of the present invention is to providemeans in a strip random-access system for reducing wear and damage tostrips dropped from any position in the magazine.

Another object of this invention is to reduce excessive damage to thetab portion of a strip falling from a magazine of a random access systemby providing means for absorbing the whiplash and impact force of thetab portion of the strip on the wall of a V-shaped chamber when thestrip is accelerated by a rotating capstan.

Still another object of this invention is to provide easily replaceableresilient padding on one of the ramps in the V-shaped chamber in arandom-access system to prevent damage to the strips when slappedagainst the ramp.

Briefly, the present invention provides vacuum rollers disposed in theload ramp of the V-shaped chamber under the magazine and a vacuum rollerdisposed in the shroud ramp. Then, when a strip is dropped from aposition over the shroud ramp, the vacuum roller in the shroud ramptends to hold the leading and central portions of the dropped stripagainst the surface of the shroud ramp while the strip is moving towardsthe rapidly rotating vacuum capstan. Because the shroud ramp shieldspart of the capstan and is in close proximity to it, there is limitedspace in which to add additional structure for the vacuum roller.Therefore, the vacuum roller is placed relatively high on the shroudramp. Now, when the trailing portion of the strip, including the tabend, passes this vacuum roller, the tab end is free of the vacuum drawnaround the roller and is caused by the action of the capstan to whipover and slap against the load ramp. Therefore, to protect the tabs fromdamage, in accordance with the present invention, resilient pads areplaced at the impact points on the load ramp to soften the impact withwhich the tab portion of the strip whips against the surface of the loadramp. In order not to slow up a strip dropped from the loader side, itshould be noted that the resilient material in the pad is covered with asuitable flexible, thin, smooth film, made of, for example, polyesterplastic which has good abrasive qualities and provides a low frictionsurface on which the strips may slide.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafterbe made apparent or will become apparent upon considerationof theappended claims and from the following description of a typicalembodiment of the invention that is illustrated by the accompanyingdrawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of the random-access storage system;

FIG. 2 is a pictorial view of a typical flat, flexible informationstorage strip showing, in particular, the strip in a flexed position;

' FIG. 3 is an end elevation of the suspender means of FIG. 1 showingthe structure for supporting and selecting a particular strip;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, partial section and elevation of the V-shapedchamber under the magazine showing a strip being initially guided by theroller in the shroud ramp along the Wall of the chamber to the rotatingcapstan;

FIG. 5 is a further enlarged, partial section and elevation of theV-shaped chamber shown in FIG. 4 showing the strip of FIG. 4 whippingagainst the pads provided on the load ramp after the tab end of thestrip has passed the roller in the shroud ramp;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged pictorial view showing primarily the load ramplocated under the magazine loader;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged pictorial view showing primarily the shroud rampon the V-shaped chamber;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged pictorial view of a resilient pad to be insertedwithin a recess formed in the ramp of the V-shaped chamber; and

FIG. 9 is an enlarged pictorial view of the resilient pad showing theprotective cover for the adhesive thereon partially removed.

Referring to FIG. 1, the various mechanical components of therandom-access storage system are shown assembled on an upright backplate 11. The upright plate 11 is suitably mounted on a frame 13,partially shown. The frame 13 is part of an enclosed console (not shown)that may also enclose a suitable electronic circuit for the system. Theelectronic circuit provides the signals to selective solenoids thatactuate the mechanical components of the system. The signals to thesolenoids are fed'through suitable wiringthat is disposed on the backside of the plate 11 and substantially hidden from view.

As disclosed in the above-mentioned Irasek application, Serial No.12,032, random-access systems of the type described provide for storinginformation on strips 12 (a typical strip is shown in FIG. 2) in theform of magnetic recordings. The strips 12 are flat, flexible, andrelatively long in relation to their width and are made, for

example, of iron oxide coated on a flexible polyester base such aspolyethylene terephthalate. are disposed to depend lengthwise by theirtabs 12a (formed at the upper edge) from suspender means 14 (as shown inFIG. 3) that is fixed to the upright plate 16 are actuated by selectivesignals supplied by an electronic circuit.

The suspender means 14 also includes an air supply hood 18 which directsa stream of air through a suitable grill (not shown) and down throughthe depending strips 12. The hood 18 is so shaped to protrude throughthe back plate 11 and is connected to suitable air blowers (not shown)by a flexible hose 17. The hood 18 includes internal baflies (not shown)which force the air to blow evenly across the suspender means 14 tomaintain the strips 12 in spaced-apart relationship within a magazine 19(FIG. 1). Now, when a strip is released from the magazine, the releasedstrip falls freely into a V-shaped chamber 20 (more clearly shown inFIG. 4).

Referring to FIG. 4, the V-shaped chamber 20 includes two convergingwalls, a load ramp 22 and a shroud ramp 23, that guide any releasedstrip towards the periphery of a rapidly rotating capstan 24. 'It shouldbe noted that any strip at the moment it leaves the magazine 19 is free-I falling, that is, the surfaces of the free falling strip are laterallyunrestrained or unsupported. The falling strip,

for example, strip 12', after moving through the chamber 20, isattracted to the rotating capstan 24 by a vacuum drawn through suitableradially disposed perforations 27 that are formed in the capstan 24 andthat communicate with a suitable duct 28. The duct 28 passes through theupright plate 11, and in turn, is coupled to a suitable vacuum pump (notshown). This causes the rotating capstan 24 to rapidly pull andaccelerate the falling strip out of the chamber 20. Since the capstan 24is rotating in the direction of arrow 25 the accelerated strips tend toslap against the ramp 22. Since this invention provides vacuum means (aswill be described hereinafter) on both ramps 22 and 23 for drawing thefalling strip to one of the ramps 22 or 23, the rapidly acceleratedstrip 12' is inhibited somewhat from violently whipping about and re-;slapping against the ramps 22 and 23. However, even with the vacuummeans, some of the strips 12, when ac-.

celerated by the capstan, do slap against the ramp 22 and resilientmeans which tend to retard tab damage is provided at the impact pointsto soften the impact with which the tab portion of the strip whipsagainst the surface of the ramp 22. The resilient means for retardingtab damage on a strip will be described more fully hereinafter.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the dropped strip being held by the rotatingcapstan 24 is passed across a transducer means 33 thathas read and writemagnetic hearls located at the upper end thereof adjacent the capstan24.:

The read and write signals are coupled to and fromthe transducer means33 through a suitable Wire cable 34. When the strip passes thetransducer means 33,. the strip, due to centrifugal force, leaves thecapstan 24 and enters the vertical guideway 38 to be returned to themagazine 19. The strip is guided upwards by the vertical guideway 38 tobe returned to the magazine 19. The strip is guided upwards by thevertical guideway 38 where it enters an arc-guideway 41. Within thearc-guideway 41 the strip interrupts a light beam shining on a photocell42, and a signal is produced by the electronic circuit. The signalindicates that a strip is returning to the magazine 19 and a loadingmeans 43, which loads strips into the magazine, is prepared to receivethe strip. The speed of the strip' The strips 121 entering the loadingmeans is controlled by a strip-control roller assembly 44. After thestrip is in the loading means 43, a strip loading cycle is performed bythe loading means in response to a command signal generated by theelectronc circuit.

The above-mentioned means which tends to inhibit a strip from whippingabout and from becoming damaged will now be described. Referring toFIGS. 5 and 6, there is shown the means on the load ramp 22. Asdescribed in the above-mentioned Glaser et al. application, any selectedstrip dropped from the general area of the chamber 20, disposed abovethe load ramp 22, is prevented from whipping violently by a vacuum drawnaround two rotating rollers 46 and 47 disposed in slots 48 and 49,respectively, formed in ramp 22. The vacuum is produced within a chamber52 (FIG. 5), by fixing a suitable vacuum pump (not shown) to a duct 51(FIG. 6). As shown and described in the Glaser et al. application, thevacuum draws a falling strip dropped from over the load ramp 22 andholds the strip against the rollers 46 and 47, which are rotated in thedirection of arrows 60 by a suitable motor 53 (FIG. 6), belt 54, andpulleys 55, and thereby move the selected strip towards the capstan 24.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 7, the improved embodiment of the V-shapedchamber 20 in this invention includes a roller 56 disposed within a bore57 provided in the shroud whose surface forms ramp 23. The bore 57communicates with the chamber 20 and with a vacuum pump by suitablemeans (not shown) so that air is drawn from the chamber 20. Now when astrip such as strip 12 (FIG. 4), which has been positioned in themagazine 19 over the shroud ramp 23, in the approximate position ofarrow 59, is released, the lower edge of the falling strip contacts theshroud ramp 23 and slides over the roller 56. The strip 12' is drawn tothe ramp 23 by the vacuum drawn through the bore. In turn, the surfaceof rotating roller 56 moves the falling strip towards the capstan 24.The roller is rotated in the direction of arrow 77 by a motor 78 (FIG.1), belt 79 and pulleys 81. A finger 61 (FIG. 7) disposed flush with thesurface of the shroud ramp 23 prevents the lower or leading edge of afalling strip from hanging up on the lower lip formed by the wall of thebore 57 and the surface of the ramp 23. It should be noted that becausethe shroud ramp 23 tapers to an edge 62 about capstan 24, the bore 57has to be [formed relatively high in the ramp 23. Then, after thetrailing edge of the strip 12 with the tabs passes the roller 55, thevacuum drawn through the bore 57 is no longer effective in restrainingthe strip and the strip is free to whip about and slap against the loadramp 22. Because of the effect on the strip of the vacuum roller 56 onthe shroud ramp 23, the tabs impact area on load ramp 22 is lower andtherefore the impacting force is less damaging than it would be if noroller 56 is placed in the shroud ramp 23. FIG. 5 illustrates the strip12' as it may appear as it moves to moves to the other side of thechamber and slaps against the load ramp 22 after the trailing edge withthe tabs has passed the roller 56. To help prevent damage to the tabs onany of the strips which happen to slap against the load ramp 22, theramp 22 is covered with resilient pads 63 at the lower portion thereofwhere the tabs 12a are likely to strike. It should be noted that all thestrips which happen to slap against the load ramp 22 do not assume theexact position as shown for strip 12' in FIG. 5. However, the pads aresufficiently large such that if a strip does slap against the load rampthis strip impacts the ramp in the region of the pads 63. Since theroller 47 in load ramp 22 is needed to control the movement of a stripwhich is selected and dropped from over the load ramp 22, the pads 63are placed above and below the roller 47. Then, in order to provide acushioning effect in the region of the roller 47, the roller 47 includesa plurality of metallic rims 71 (FIG. 6) disposed to protrude uniformlyabove rubber rings 72. The rubber rings 72 are disposed between the rims71. When a selected strip happens to be drawn against the load ramp 22by the vacuum formed in chamber 52, the rims 71 provide the necessaryfriction drive to keep the strip moving towards the capstan 24. The rims71 are so spaced that if the tabs 12a on any particular strip happen toslap against the roller, the tabs pass between the rims 71 and strikethe resilient rubber rings 72.

As taught in the Glaser et al. application, the rollers 46 and 47 aid inmoving towards the capstan 24 any strip drawn to the load ramp 22 by thevacuum in chamber 52. However, it has been found that the most desirableresilient materials that could be used for the pads 63 have a relativelylarge icoeflicient of friction, much larger than the metallic portion ofthe ramp 22 located above the pads. Then, in order to combine bothproperties, low friction and good resiliency to the pads, the pads 63have a center made of, for example, wool tfelt cloth 66 (FIG. 5) coveredwith a flexible film 67 made of, for example, polyethyleneterephthalate. A typical pad is shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. Since the pads63 are placed within suitable recess 73 formed in the load ramp 22, thepads 63 are readily held in place with a suitable adhesive. This mannerof mounting the pads is especially useful since the pads can be easilyreplaced, if needed. FIG. 8 shows the pad 63 with a protective paper 74over the adhesive, while FIG. 9 shows the paper 74 partially removed,exposing the adhesive 82. When the paper 74 is fully removed, the pad isplaced in the recess 73 with the adhesive side next to the ramp 22. Thepads 63, when they are placed within the respective recesses 73, aresubstantially flush with the surface of the ramp '22. However, asdescribed in the Glaser et :al. application, the rollers 46 and 47protrude slightly above the surface of the load ramp 22. Also, theroller 56 in the shroud ramp 23 is positioned so that it protrudes, forexample, .030 of an inch above the surface of shroud ramp 23 in order todrive any strip in contact therewith towards the capstan 24.

From the foregoing explanation of the invention and a preferred physicalembodiment thereof, modifications and changes therein will becomeevident to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the invention is notlimited to the specific details of the described exemplary embodimentbut only as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for providing random access to any one of a group ofelongated strips, said apparatus comprising: first means for supportingsaid strips by the upper end thereof while said strips are disposed tohang in a vertical position; second means for selectively dropping onestrip at a time from said first means; a passageway comprising twoconverging ramps disposed below and communicating with said first meansto receive any strip dropped from said first means irrespective of thelocation of the strip in said first means; third means disposed near thebottom of said passageway for engaging the leading portion of a strip asit leaves said passageway and for rapidly accelerating said strip sothat the strip tends to whip about; and resilient means disposed on atleast one of said ramps to provide a resilient, energy absorbing areafor the accelerated strip to strike.

2. An apparatus for providing random access to any one of a group ofelongated strips, said apparatus comprising: first means rfor supportingsaid strips by the upper end thereof while said strips are disposed tohang in a vertical position; second means for selectively dropping onestrip at a time from said first means; a passageway comprising twoconverging ramps disposed below and communicating with said first meansto receive any strip dropped from said first means irrespective of thelocation of the strip in said first means; third means disposed near thebottom of said passageway for engaging the leading portion of a strip asit leaves said passageway and for rapidly accelerating said stripwhereby the strip tends to whip about; and a resilient pad disposed onat least one of said ramps to provide a resilient, energy absorbing areafor the accelerated strip to strike.

3. An apparatus for providing random access to any one of a group ofelongated strips, said apparatus comprising: first means for supportingsaid strips by the upper end thereof while said strips are disposed tohang in a vertical position; second means for selectively dropping onestrip at a time from said first means; a passageway comprising twoconverging ramps disposed below and communicating with said first meansto receive any strip dropped from said first means irrespective of thelocation of the strip in said first means; third means disposed near thebottom of said passageway for engaging the leading portion of a strip asit leaves said passageway and for rapidly accelerating said strip;fourth means for causing a strip to be urged towards one of said rampsof said passageway as it drops through said passageway; and resilientmeans disposed on at least one of said ramps to provide a resilient,energy absorbing area for the accelerated strip to strike.

4. An apparatus for providing random access to any one of a group ofelongated strips, said apparatus comprising: first means for supportingsaid strips by the upper end thereof while said strips are disposed tohang in a vertical position; second means for selectively dropping onestrip at a time from said first means; a passageway comprising twoconverging ramps disposed below and communicating with said first meansto receive any strip dropped from said first means irrespective of thelocation of the strip in said first means; third means disposed near thebottom of said passageway for engaging the leading portion of a strip asit leaves said passageway and for rapidly accelerating said stripwhereby the strip tends to whip about; one of said ramps having arecessed portion; and a pad disposed within said recessed portion toprovide a resilient, energy absorbing impact area for the acceleratedstrip to strike, said pad having a resilient filler to provideresiliency to said pad and a flexible smooth film covering said fillerto provide a surface which is flush with the surface of the respectiveramp and on which surface said strips are able to slide.

5. An apparatus for providing random access to any one of a group ofelongated flexible magnetic strips and rapidly accelerating said stripfor movement past a transducing means, said apparatus comprising: firstmeans for supporting said strips by tabs formed on the upper end thereofwhile said strips are disposed to hang in a vertical position; secondmeans for selectively dropping one strip at a time from said firstmeans; a V-shaped chamber having a pair of converging walls to form aWide opening disposed below and communicating with said first means toreceive any strip dropped from said first means irrespective of thelocation of the strip in said first means, said V-shaped chamber havingan exit slot formed by said converging Walls at the lower end thereofthrough which slot said dropped strip passes from said chamber; thirdmeans disposed near said exit slot for engaging the lower portion of thestrip as it leaves said exit slot and for rapidly accelerating saidstrip out of said chamber; pneumatic means for causing the stripdropping through said chamber to be urged towards one of said walls ofsaid chamber; and a pad disposed within a recess for-med in at least oneof said walls of said chamber to provide a resilient, energy absorbingarea for the strip when it strikes the area.

6. An apparatus for providing random access to any one of a group ofelongated flexible magnetic strips and rapidly accelerating said stripsfor movement past a transducing means, said apparatus comprising: amagazine for storing said strips in an assembled group from which anyone of said strips can be selectively dropped; transport means having arotary capstan for rapidly accelerating any dropped strip; a chamberdisposed below said magazine and having two ctmverging ramps to providea wide up- '8 per opening into which any one of the strips stored insaid magazine can be dropped and to provide a narrow lower opening; saidcapstan being adjacent one of said ramps whereby said one ramp tapers toan edge so that said lower opening is disposed adjacent the periphery ofthe rotary capstan to guide any dropped strip thereto; a roller disposedin rotating relationship within each of said ramps to cause any droppedstrip to be pushed towards said narrow opening when a dropped stripcontacts the roller; means for drawing air through the space formedbetween the roller and the respective ramp to urge a dropped striptowards one of the ramps; and a resilient pad disposed on the lowerportion of said other ramp to provide a resilient, energy absorbing areafor the accelerated strip to strike.

7. An apparatus for providing random access to any one of a group ofelongated flexible magnetic strips and rapidly accelerating said stripsfor movement past a transducing means, said apparatus comprising: amagazine for storing said strips in an assembled group from which anyone of said strips can be selectively dropped; transport means having arotary capstan for rapidly accelerating said strips, one at a time afterbeing dropped from said 1 magazine; a chamber disposed below saidmagazine and having two converging ramps to provide a wide upper;

opening into which any one of the strips can be dropped and to provide anarrow lower opening; said capstan be ing disposed adjacent one of saidramps so that said one ramp tapers to an edge to allow said loweropening to be disposed adjacent the periphery of the rotary capstan toguide any dropped strip thereto; a roller disposed in rotatingrelationship within each of said ramps to cause any dropped strip to bepushed towards said narrow lower opening when a dropped strip contactsthe roller; means for drawing air through the space formed between theroller and the respective ramp to urge a dropped strip towards one ofthe ramps; and a resilient pad disposed on the lower portion of saidother ramp to provide a resilient, energy absorbing area for theaccelerated strip to strike, said pad having a resilient filler forproviding resiliency to said pad and a smooth, flexible film coveringsaid filler to provide a surface which is flush with the surface of therespective ramp and on which said strips are able to slide.

8. An apparatus for providing random access: to any one of a group ofelongated flexible magnetic strips and rapidly accelerating said stripsfor movement past a transducing means, said apparatus comprising: amagazine for storing said strips in an assembled group from which any;

one of said strips can be selectively dropped; transport means having arotary capstan for rapidly accelerating any dropped strip for movementpast said transducing.

rotating relationship within each of said ramps to cause any droppedstrip to be pushed towards said narrow lower opening when a droppedstrip contacts the roller; means for drawing air out of said chamber andthrough the space formed between the roller and the respective ramp tourge a dropped strip towards one of the ramps, the roller on said oneramp being disposed in the upper portion thereof out of the way of saidcapstan, and the roller on said other ramp being disposed in the lowerportion thereof; and resilient means disposed above and below the rolleron said other ramp to provide a resilient, energy absorbing area for theaccelerated strip to strike.

9. An apparatus for providing random access to any one of a group ofelongated flexible magnetic strips and rapidly accelerating said stripfor movement past a transducing means, said apparatus comprising: firstmeans for supporting said strips by tabs formed evenly spaced on theupper end of each strip to cause said strip to hang in a verticalposition; second means for selectively dropping one strip at a time fromsaid first means; transport means having a rotary capstan for rapidlyaccelerating any dropped strip for movement past said transducing means;a chamber disposed below said magazine and having two converging rampsto provide a wide upper opening into which any one of the strips can bedropped and to provide a narrow lower opening; said capstan beingdisposed adjacent one of said ramps so that said one ramp tapers to anedge to allow said lower opening to be disposed adjacent the peripheryof the capstan to guide a dropped strip thereto; a roller disposed inrotating relationship within each of said ramps to cause any droppedstrip to be pushed towards said narrow opening when the strip contactsthe roller; third means for drawing air out of said chamber and throughthe space formed between the roller and the respective ramp to urge adropped strip towards the respective ramp, the roller on said one rampbeing disposed in the upper portion thereof out of the way of saidcapstan, and the roller on said other ramp being disposed in the lowerportion thereof; resilient means disposed above and below the roller onsaid other ramp to provide a resilient, energy absorbing area for theaccelerated strip to strike; and said roller disposed in the lowerportion of said other ramp having a plurality of metallic rims evenlyspaced along the axis of the roller and having resilient rubber ringsdisposed between said rims so that the tabs on the strip would impact onthe rubber rings whenever an accelerated strip strikes against theroller with rubber rings.

10. An apparatus for providing random access to any one of a group ofelongated flat flexible strips, said apparatus comprising: first meansfor storing strips in an assembled group from which any one of saidstrips can be selectively released; second means spaced from said firstmeans for engaging and pulling a strip after being released from saidfirst means causing the released strip to whip about; third meansincluding a guide wall interposed between said first and second meansfor guiding any released strip to said second means; and resilient meansdisposed on said wall in said third means to provide a resilient energyabsorbing area for the strip to strike against as it is whipping about.

11. In an apparatus for providing random access to any one of a group ofelongated flat flexible strips wherein any one of said strips isreleased from said group to move through a V-shaped chamber which guidesthe strip to a rotating capstan where the strip is rapidly acceleratedby said capstan causing the strip to move toward a tangential positionwith respect to the periphery of said rotating capstan and in so doingslap against a Wall in said chamber, the combination with said chamberof a resilient pad disposed on said wall to provide a resilient, energyabsorbing area for the accelerated strip to strike.

12. An apparatus for providing random access to any one of a group ofelongated strips, said apparatus including: first means for supportingsaid strips in face-toface relationship in an assembled group so thatthe strips hang in a vertical position and in a uniform stack so thatany one of the strips is able to drop freely therefrom; a chambercomprising two converging ramps to form a wide opening disposed belowsaid first means to receive any strip dropped from said first means andto form an exit slot at the lower end of the chamber through which thedropped strip passes, said chamber positioned with respect to said firstmeans so that the strips which drop from the first half of the stackmake contact with one of the ramps and the strip which drops from thesecond half of the stack makes contact with the other ramp before therespective strips pass out of said slot; a rotating capsan disposed nearsaid exit slot and adjacent said other ramp for engaging the lowerportion of a strip as it leaves said exit slot and accelerating thestrip out of said chamber so that the accelerated strip tends to assumea tangenial position with respect to said capstan and in so doing slapsagainst said one ramp; and resilient pads disposed on said one ramp toprovide a resilient energy absorbing area for the accelerated strip tostrike.

References Cited by the Examiner M. HENSON WOOD,

A. N. KNOWLES, Assistant Examiner.

JR., Primary Examiner.

11. IN AN APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING RANDOM ACCESS TO ANY ONE OF A GROUP OFELONGATED FLAT FLEXIBLE STRIPS WHEREIN ANY ONE OF SAID STRIPS ISRELEASED FROM SAID GROUP TO MOVE THROUGH A V-SHAPED CHAMBER WHICH GUIDESTHE STRIP TO A ROTATING CAPSTAN WHERE THE STRIP IS RAPIDLY ACCELERATEDBY SAID CAPSTAN CAUSING THE STRIP TO MOVE TOWARD A TANGENTIAL POSITIONWITH RESPECT TO THE PERIPHERY OF SAID ROTATING CAPSTAN AND IN SO DOINGSLAP AGAINST A WALL IN SAID CHAMBER, THE COMBINATION WITH SAID CHAMBEROF A RESILIENT PAD DISPOSED ON SAID WALL TO PROVIDE A RESILIENT, ENERGYABSORBING AREA FOR THE ACCELERATED STRIP TO STRIKE.